The NSW Public Lighting Code (Code) supports the reliable and efficient supply of public lighting services.
First published in January 2006, the Code informs the relationship between Public Lighting Service Providers (licensed electricity distributors) and their Customers (primarily local councils and Transport for NSW), as defined under the Code. The Code, which is mandatory for Service Providers, details the obligations, including minimum service standards, that Service Providers must adhere to in the provision of Public Lighting Services, to their Customers.
A new version of the Code comes into effect from 1 July 2023.
This new Code has recently been subject to an extensive consultation to ensure that the Code can still achieve its policy objectives. This review was undertaken by the Office of Energy and Climate Change with the Office carefully considering feedback received from submissions and finalised through consultations by stakeholder working groups and through the Public Lighting Forum, a consultative group that includes representatives of Public Lighting Service Providers and Customers.
As a result of the feedback and review, an amended Code, Version 1.3, will come into effect from 1 July 2023. Items in Schedule 2 of version 1.3 will come into force from 1 July 2024 to provide Service Providers additional time to prepare for the more substantive changes of the revised Code.
These new versions of the Code offer a number of improvements including making compliance with service standards more transparent, adding further incentives to encourage adherence and delivers a streamlined structure for service standards.
Reporting
There are reporting requirements that the Public Lighting Service Providers must meet to comply with the Code.
The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal of NSW (IPART) oversees compliance to the Code. A high-level summary reporting template has been prepared by Central NSW Joint Organisation to identify the information expectations of Customers and is available here:
Any questions about the template should be directed to Central NSW Joint Organisation.
Further information and instructions are available on the IPART website.